Overview
- NHS England has announced a phased rollout that will add Martha’s Rule to all hospital A&E departments and waiting rooms in England with implementation starting in late September and finishing by March 2028.
- The expansion creates a dedicated, round‑the‑clock helpline that immediately summons an independent critical care team to review a patient when concerns about worsening condition are raised.
- An eight‑month pilot across seven trusts produced 69 A&E calls, some of which led to urgent surgery or transfers to intensive care, and NHS leaders say the system can operate alongside busy emergency workflows without large extra staffing.
- The policy builds on use on inpatient wards where NHS figures show more than 19,000 calls between September 2024 and July 2026 and a record month of 1,678 calls in July 2026.
- Martha’s Rule was created after the 2021 death of 13‑year‑old Martha Mills, whose coroner found earlier transfer to intensive care would likely have saved her life, and the scheme is also due to be extended to maternity and neonatal units by March 2028.